Finding Hope in Tragedy: Lessons from Virgil’s Aeneid

Woman reading book in scenic mountain setting.

I was hardly surprised to find a class on Virgil’s The Aeneid as a core requirement for the degree. Yet, I must admit that I approached the epic with some level of hesitancy. In my mind, it was one thing to study Plato and Aristotle, yet Virgil and Homer?  The looming question was always, what could one hope to gain by studying them? Should a Christian even read pagan classics? The answer is obvious when considered in light of their historical and, arguably, eschatological significance.

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A Story Reminiscent of Home

Book with plant and coffee mug.

A Story Reminiscent of Home Written by Susan Severson Over the past several months, I completely immersed myself in the very medieval, very Norwegian world of Sigrid Undset. First, I completely devoured the new translation of Olav Audunssøn (previously titled The Master of Hestviken). I then turned to Kristin Lavransdatter for my fourth time (with…

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Reading Slumps & Femininity in Support of Fatherhood

Airplane wing over cityscape at sunset.

Femininity in Support of Fatherhood Written by Nicki Johnston Toward the end of the summer, I found myself in a reading slump. And as we all know from Dr. Seuss, “When you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” Over the years, I have discovered a reliable…

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Fatherhood and the Human Heart

Person reading outside near residential building.

Fatherhood and the Human Heart Written by Megan Keyser A reflection on a past WRM read, To Kill a Mockingbird, in honor of the Well-Read Mom Year of the Father theme. Fatherhood is crucial to the development of the human heart. The strength and uprightness of fathers, or alternatively, their weakness and vice, is reflected…

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Hunting Season and Book Club

Hand holding "The Well-Read Mom" book.

I was ecstatic, and I do love Well Read Mom. It’s as closest as I’ve gotten to college since college, and I mean the sit-in-a-room-and-talk-about-soaring-ideas part of college. Last year, we read a 16th century monk and T.S. Eliot. This year we’re doing Virgil and Pinocchio. Each year’s list has books you’ve heard of, new releases, and works you were probably assigned to read at some point but didn’t. The conversation, joy, challenge, and sisterhood this sparks is unmatched. It forces you out of the whirlwind of your day and into thinking about art, beauty, goodness, truth.

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Seeking Beyond the Suffering

Peaches beside "The Well-Read Mom" book.

Seeking. I am always seeking. Seeking a bargain, a better way to do a chore, or getting two errands done simultaneously. But this year has been different. Life events have pushed me deeper toward inner strength, perseverance, and, ultimately, toward God more fully present in me.  

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Erudite

Flowers, books, and a candle on table.

I first learned about Well-Read Mom after our family moved from Florida to Georgia, and I was looking to meet new people. A dear friend invited me to join her evening group. The structure and rigor of the book selections fed my love for literature. Unfortunately, evening book club meetings were not sustainable for our growing family. I tried reading on my own, but it wasn’t the same. If I wanted a book club that fit my family’s needs, I would need to start my own chapter.

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Finding Charis

Book surrounded by green potted plants.

I began my journey in the Year of the Seeker by responding to a forwarded email from a friend inviting me to join a local Well-Read Mom group. It was July, and my husband and I were coordinating the fall schedules of our seven children.  We had also just found out we were expecting.  Though I have been an avid reader since childhood, I have never participated in a book club.  I thought reading some new books and chatting with like-minded women might be a good opportunity.

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